Building A Gut Profile......Days 10 to 12 of Our Probiotic Fast

Day 10 to 12

We are now on day 13 of our fast and feeling pretty good. To be honest, most of the time I feel as if I could carry on indefinitely – I think this is what it feels like to make progress!

Now, to catch you up on what I have been doing….

Days 10 and 11, we just fasted on our fermented drinks, apple cider vinegar and beet root fermented juices. Oh, and I have increased my intake of herbal teas – now I am including a liver tonic along with the hormone balance herbs.

During my fasts is the only time I have experienced unprecedented healing/balancing/regulating of body systems. Therefore, it always makes sense to me to take in lots of herbal teas anytime I fast because you get results far more quickly. Even if only doing a day here and there, herbal tea is the way to go!

To be honest, I just find that all healing takes place at an unprecedented rate whenever I am fasting….healing a body ‘system’ such as immune, endocrine and especially the digestive tract, is much more straight forward when unimpeded by food, debris and by products of metabolism. 

Of course, our bodies heal from the top down, inside out, however, the largest fires will be put out first. So, healing takes time and continued effort on our parts. Deeper inflammation takes the longest. But, you will see improvements no matter how long the fast!

Then, for day 12 - we broke our fast again with lots of garlic with a plan to have some milky foods the next day. I keep craving milk (perhaps because we have so much of it right now!). Over these past couple of days I have been wondering about the best way to get it into my system – fermented milk products are awesome for gut bacteria especially homemade from raw milk.

So, I decided to include some dandelion coffee with our own raw goat’s milk in it, a couple times a week to also help build beneficial bacterial colonies. It tastes great (we gave up drugged coffee years ago) and dandelion has the added benefit of supporting our livers. 

BUT….did you know that dandelion root is also a prebiotic? This means it has components that feed and benefit gut bacteria in their struggle to survive. And roasted dandelion root or dandelion coffee tastes quite nice. It’s a bitter herb needed to keep things in a healthy balance. 

What I know about beneficial bacteria in our guts is that they need all sorts of different foods (raw, living, wild, cooked, sweet, bitter, sour, fibre) to nourish them. Because this is a probiotic fast, I can see and feel already how it is working.

Over these next few hours I plan on getting a little bit of milk into my system – raw and fermented in smoothies and with dandelion coffee as well as perhaps a little meat or fish. 

Meat sounds like a weird thing to include on a mini break from our liquid fast days, however, we also have gut microbes who are complete carnivores (just like my cat) and I want to feed them as well. 

Let’s keep everyone happy in there! 

Up to this point I am feeling very well. I always feel great when I am fasting and my energy levels are quite good – even for all of the detox, changeover and perhaps a bit of an immune boost that is taking place in our guts. There’s a lot of shifting and changing going on…..

April

Getting there!

Healing Powers of Garlic - On A Garlic Fast

Right now I am taking raw garlic crushed in food just to generally clean up my system after a long winter. In the past I have used it many times for naturally fighting illness, infection and inflammation. And it works far better then anything else I have come across.

Garlic is an amazing herb and works on many levels within the healing processes of the body. For instance it helps with DNA repair, carcinogen metabolism, inflammatory response, hormone regulation, apoptosis, cell cycle shifts and of course detox. Each one of these are vital functions in our bodies. 

If you are ready to boost your immune response to be able to handle anything that comes your way perhaps you might consider taking a medicinal dose of raw garlic from time to time and especially whenever you have a flu or illness to deal with.

Over these past 2 days I have only taken in several cloves of raw crushed garlic in guacamole (avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley & garlic) on thinly sliced sourdough bread. I have sipped my Apple Cider Vinegar and drank my fermented juices as well while I am doing my little garlic fast.

Last week I did 3 days in a row of the same thing….5 – 6 cloves of raw garlic each day in guacamole on 3 slices of bread and then the fermented drinks. That’s all I took in for each day with plenty of water. 

I also kept up nicely with my running, weights and yoga and generally treated these days like any other fast days. I just had to get my head around ways of getting the garlic into me without a hassle, while it does have to be in food.... so the bread worked perfectly. 

I felt great afterwards and am now doing it again this week....and perhaps next week as well to keep going with this much needed spring clean!

If you wanted to give this a try yourself, I have included some of my notes from my clinic......

Healing Powers of Garlic

Garlic is medicinal when crushed, allowed to stand for 10 minutes and then eaten raw in food. 5 to 15 cloves per day over 72 hours is best when fighting acute infection or illness. 

I would recommend taking it in the same way as any other antibiotic – every 4 or 6 hours around the clock for 24 hours, then every 8 hours, then every 12 hours over the first 3 days to ensure a constant blood level of this potent herb. 

It works best to take the garlic raw for the first 72 hours in oily food, then stop for 72 hours break. Start another 72 hour cycle following the same pattern to complete the healing process. 

This allows the body time, energy and space to shift into an immune response, and use the garlic as part of its’ defences.

Have A Healthy Day!

April

Garlic ready for guacamole 

Getting On With Living….

Today I am fasting again….however, it was nice to eat loads (read way too much!) over the Christmas holidays and equally nice to be experimenting, cooking and tasting the rich seasonal foods on offer. Life really does revolve around food and eating in this house!

But, that's all behind us now, so, getting back to today. I felt is was time to get this month started for me on yet another footing (self care is paramount) and I am doing a bit of a fast. At the moment, I am not sure how long I will fast this time around. Perhaps a week or two – or maybe longer, I like to take these things one day at a time whenever I can.

Already today I had my first little detox challenge…..I started feeling achy and sinusy as if I was coming down with a cold (like the one the kids had 2 weeks ago!). And my first thought was to just go back to bed….but alas, that isn’t really an option.

I just followed my instincts (or a very strong intuition in my case) and mixed up some of my Apple Cider Vinegar into my fermented Rebel Juice and sipped on that for the rest of the morning. By the time I realized I was feeling back to myself, the juice was gone and I had been busy with all my chores around the place.

It works so quickly!

And now here I am with quite a few things done including 2 mini workouts and still marveling that I am feeling much better – and glad I never went back to bed. The moral of the story here seems to be – to never underestimate the healing power of your body when given the right ingredients.

In this case it was my own apple cider vinegar and fermented beetroot juice – it packs a powerful anti-oxidant punch as well as provides nourishing probiotics for the gut. Because our immune system is gut mediated (if your tummy isn’t working, your immune system is compromised) all we need to do is boost ourselves from the inside with beneficial organisms….

Then they do the work for us. 

When I think back to how I used to treat myself when I felt low, poorly or even completely under the weather – well, needless to say, it was a world apart from where I am today. I would often just ignore symptoms or worse, just push them down with a pain reliever and carry on.

If I have learned anything about health, healing and detox over these many years living this close to nature and in tune with my body, it’s this; when you are gentle with your body and provide natural, equally gentle means of healing, you only have to walk down this road once. 

Pushing something down or aside, simply means it will pop back up to be dealt with on another day and perhaps be far worse then what you started with.  Best to face up to whateveritis that’s around us on the day and provide our body with what it needs (nutrients, herbs, probiotics, exercise, quiet time, laughter, detox) to move forward – then we can get on with living our lives. 

And that’s what we are doing here, right?

April

Change Is In the Air....

It’s been a great summer and I don’t want it to end….perhaps because I am still trying to get caught up with the weeding LOL. So, now is the time to be finishing up those loose ends and mucking out the summer stuff…

The one word that stands out to me here is END. In lots of ways when September arrives – this signals change – some kids go back to homeschool and lessons and the seasons shift into shorter days.

These day lengths are very important to those of us walking the spiritual path for many reasons the least of which is our top up of vitamin D that keeps up healthy throughout these coming cooler (and darker) months.

So….why might I be mentioning vitamin D, light and changing seasons to those who are seeking spiritual endeavours, you might be wondering…well, travelling these roads and staying healthy has long been associated with immune system function.

There are perils and pitfalls nearly everywhere, but none as dangerous and significant as those of a spiritual nature. I have often heard it said how there is no disease but only ‘dysfunction of the spirit’ and I tend to agree.

Our physical body, spiritual essence, energetic and emotional selves are not kept separate from one another. These are integral pieces of a whole being – where if one aspect is pulled down, the entire organism suffers as a result.

One of the things I am planning to do during these last few warmish days of late summer is to exercise, get outside as much as possible, drink my herbal remedies on my fast days and to continue to enjoy the summer harvest that is emerging from the weeds…..

I am also shifting my thinking into ways and means to continue to boost my immune system over the coming darker months….perhaps I will make up a new remedy (smile).

April

Our littlest baby duck is growing up.....

Herbal Remedies on A Parasite Cleanse

Today feels like a clean slate – a bit of a new beginning for me. Perhaps because my insides are once again clearing out, becoming squeaky clean – only this time hopefully freer from parasites then I have ever been before.

Right now I am drinking wormwood tea, cloves and a few other herbs to encourage more of a die off and am continuing to discover some interesting things about these yukky critters. Just when you thought you knew enough LOL!

Of course – none of it should surprise me! – I was a food hygiene inspector for a few years and saw nearly everything there was to see, at that time anyway, when it came to pathology in animals and have inspected every sort of animal, except horses.

However, even though I know parasites can invade any organ, tissue and there are even some which feed directly off of the cells themselves….I had a bit of a mental block when it came to transferring that knowledge to apply to our human bodies.

So….these nasty creatures could be anywhere – in any organ, feeding away…but what is far worse is they release toxic residue and cause acidic environments where ever they are.

They also encourage candida, fungal overgrowth, various viruses and poor bacteria growth in the body. Mainly because their presence lowers and interferes with immune function. And we haven't even gotten to the chronic undernourishment - it's no wonder so many are sick and tired...

None of this creates a picture of abundant health! Now you know why I am so keen on reducing their numbers and eradicating them as much as possible. I have even come to realize how the last remaining little hot spots of inflammation around my body are related to parasites….

This alone is enough to push me forward – onwards towards my goal of 30 days with this water fast, and I am nearly there. It’s all good.

April

Rather large goose eggs from our 2 geese a laying...

It's Day Eight of 10 day Master Cleanse

Today I feel pretty good so far, for a chilly, windy and rainy day! It's now day 8 and the topic of conversation has been around doing more of these in the coming months, perhaps a couple of longer Master Cleanses before Christmas and the fact that successfully completing a cleanse is all mind over matter.

So that takes me to right where I am now, gaining more ground within my mind with a lot of clarity about some very old issues bursting through the seams here. As I have mentioned a few times during the past week, the focus has been very much on the unseen realms and supernatural.

However, these worlds are not separate from us, they simply exist in dimensions we are not fully aware of all the time. My attention has been drawn to the connection between mind, unseen worlds and our immune system or inner defences. 

As a Medical Intuitive these are issues I wonder about and links I am looking for inside of myself. The question to ask here is exactly what kind of influence might some supernatural force such as fallen angels for instance, exert on a human being?

How much harm can they do, how would they gain entry (energy attachment within the nervous tissue) and of course, how far is a detox, Master Cleanse going to go in removing, breaking down and eliminating this entity? Energy is a simple thing - actually none of these concepts are complicated.

It appears to all come down to our immune system - so naturally there has to be a huge mind connection between these two functions. Any components of our minds that exist in the brain for instance also must bridge into the glial cells and separate immune system there. 

Lots of things on my mind today! One thing that I am certain about right now - my immune system is gaining ground, it is something I have wondered about during these cleanses - what effect might they have on immune function and now I think I know.

My body (and mind) simply feels stronger, like I am more certain of my presence here on the earth, sort of like a groundedness with all parts of me invited. Not a bad side benefit from these detoxes at all!

As for detox symptoms - my tongue is still coated, I have good energy levels, sleeping deeply, still dreaming (last night of electronic gadgets, wires and listening devices LOL), I have lost about 8 pounds so far and am feeling really focused. 

For me at this point, doing these Master Cleanses is not about weight loss as I am at a healthy weight. However if you need to drop some weight, this is a safe, healthy way to do it, as I have long known weight loss without detoxing is a disaster.

The extra weight we carry is the resting place for much of the toxic debris and must be whittled down as your detox progresses. This is the magic of the inner workings of our bodies - and I am delighted to be in this wonderful place, moving steadily inwards towards home. 

We are still working away on our menu for late next week (Blue Moon Festival) and I am now finally looking forward to getting this cleanse behind me - mostly so that I can enjoy its' benefits! 

Have a healthy day,

April

Green leaves, but no pumpkins yet! 

On The 6th Day....

Well here we are, already 6 days into our July cleanse and things are moving and shaking - at least from a change of mind/habit/thinking perspective and I feel really good. I have the usual symptoms of detox - coated tongue, some aches in joints, small bumps on my skin, however great energy, focus and concentration.

One thing I realized yesterday was that I completely forgot to weigh myself for this entire cleanse. When I first started doing these I was doing them to lose the excess weight that I was carrying around and to balance my hormones which had not come back after my last pregnancy.

Now, of course with the weight long gone - this part of the Master Cleanse, losing some weight, never even entered my mind! I am so used to going by how I feel and the way my jeans fit me that now I have a completely different mindset. And I must admit- it is refreshing to not have weight issues on my mind.

This brings up another subject that I don't think I mention too much here as I sort of take it for granted that you all know my recipe for MC is slightly different. I use my own herbal preparations for my Master Cleanse juice - which I credit for the incredible healing, repair and great health that myself and my family enjoy.

This time around I am drinking Work Through Fear Tea, Hormone Balance, Body Balance and some immune boosting herbs in my juice drink each day. Of course the brilliant thing about using herbs in this way - just with water, lemon juice, maple syrup and black pepper - is that there is nothing impeding the herbs from doing their fine tuning of our bodies.

Herbs are natures medicine - like a gift to us that grows from the garden, always standing at the ready to uplift, balance, heal and otherwise support us through each of these changes, shifts and detoxes as is necessary. What I love is that there are no side effects and they work so gently within the body tissues, an intelligence all of their own. 

Perhaps this is part of the reason why each time I do a MC, the shifts are profound and long lasting as well as serving to put me onto a higher path each time. This is something I will be doing for the rest of my life on a regular basis because of these reasons. 

Off to get going here with my day, will check in with you tomorrow, have a good one!

April

The early morning sunlight shining through the MC juice! JUICE ANGEL!!!

And A Celebration Day today!

Today my son is 12 years old and I am no different from any other parents out there - thinking back to the day he was born and wondering where the time has gone. He seems so grown up in some ways - yet still a boy in others. I just hope that he doesn't grow up too fast, too soon - and that is one of the reasons why I home school my children.

A home is a place where we should be safe, be accepted for who and what we are, yet expected to be a part of a family with a role to play, chores and work to do as well as contribute in other meaningful ways. It is also the one place where you can expect to learn all that you need to know in preparation for the world out there. And that is why I home school my children. 

On our birthdays here we get to choose the menu and eat whatever foods that we want to have - today I have been making macaroon and nut butter cookies, goat's cheese cake, whole grain spelt spaghetti and lamb meatballs for lunch, and then a roasted duck dinner for later tonight! (I will be exhausted LOL)

For me though I have long felt that there are a few significant years in a childs' life and developmental milestones that are reached recorded in those years. Age 12 is no exception - this is the year when the immune system reaches a stage of maturity making the child ready to go out in the world a little more. When fed properly and living in a healthy environment our immune functions in top form. However, when filled with drugs, vaccines and rubbish foods - sadly this is not the case.

This is a big day for him (and me!) and the start of a big year - the first of many, each one better than the last. 

Now, after all of these feasting and celebration days, I will be good and ready for another Master Cleanse. It all evens out, though and I am so glad that I have the fasting to look forward to. Now, I always enjoy my food without giving one thought to putting on weight or that I am eating too much. I love my food and it loves me back.

In a couple of days I will be back to day on/day off fasting and back on track again - what could be simpler? 

Have a lovely day,

April

The birthday boy on Soldier's Lookout Lough Hyne, West Cork after climbing the hill